Heaven must have needed him more than we did for the angels have taken one of the finest back home. "Backwater" Bob Burnett, 68, of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, went to be with the Lord Wednesday, April 10 th, after a long illness.

Bob and I met as backyard neighbors when I transferred to Ft.Wayne in 1995 and we became best friends through our mutual love of the outdoors. When I moved back to Michigan in 1999, the distance could not dim our friendship. Despite constant battles with tumors, skin, prostate and throat cancer, radiation and chemo, Bob worked until he retired at 65 and was primary caregiver for his mother, whom lived with him, until she passed in 2008 at the age of 91. We made good use of the time he had left in the last 5 years, going up north, turkey hunting, salmon fishing, ice fishing, target shooting and enjoying his beloved campfires at every opportunity. He was a first rate outdoorsman, master fisherman, gentleman, and the best friend anyone could hope for. He exhibited a silent strength beyond belief without complaint and I can only aspire to be the man he was.

Bob went to Missouri with us in 2005 and tagged a jake, his first turkey. I dedicated my last three Michigan seasons to trying to get him a gobbler. It was a daunting task as he was so sick he couldn't stay warm or comfortable, couldn't see or hear well and could barely speak. We saw a lot of birds and he missed one, but we could never quite seal the deal. He joined this forum briefly last spring, so some of you may remember him.

"You were sent from God as the brother I never had and to help replace the loss of my best friend Mike. Hopefully, I could fill some of the void created by the loss of your brother Mike. We spent untold hours swapping "Mike" stories while our bond and love grew stronger. Rest well Backwater Bob, you're fishing with the angels now and I'll see you when I get there... save me a spot."

Jeff

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"The joy of living is his, who has the heart to demand it." Teddy Roosevelt

Sorry to hear that, Jeff. I know Bob was a good friend to you. It always hurts to lose a friend. Don't mourn the loss, rejoice the friendship you shared. I know he appreciated the time and effort you gave him in his pursuit of a gobbler. Good on ya'.

Bob had brought his son Chris, age 40, to the Michigan turkey hunt with him the last two years. Although an experienced squirrel and deer hunter, he was a turkey hunting newbie. He tagged a jake I called in for him two years ago, his first bird, and struck out last year on his own while I was guiding Bob. I invited him back this year to continue the tradition and to help ease the loss of his father and my best friend. He gladly accepted and no additional discussion was necessary as we both felt we had some unfinished business.

Well Bob and the Lord were looking over us, because Saturday morning we connected on a true double !!! It is Chris's first gobbler and I'm one proud surrogate "Uncle" and guide. I was casting short soft calls every 10 minutes from our hide at the edge of some pines with first a wing bone, then a box cutter and finally my Willow Ridge "Death Wish" glass pot. I had the Axian X breeder hen and jake about 20 yards out on a grassy knoll. After 30 minutes, I glanced to my right and saw a gobbler trotting up the hill with his beard swinging and told Chris, "get your gun up, here comes a gobbler." While I was watching the bird approach the dekes he said, "there's two more!" We had already discussed procedure in the unlikely event of a double opportunity. A fourth gobbler appeared and they all made a bee line to the decoys as the third one broke into a strut. I took the bird at the far left and told Chris to take the strutter once it cleared the decoys. At the count of three we both fired, almost simultaneously, and had two flopping toms within 6 feet of each other. Unbelievable!

A lot of hugging and high fives ensued...and eventually some misty eyes. I'm sure I was shaking from the adrenaline rush at one point. The rest of the day was a blur as the celebration started... A load of phone calls, lots of pictures and a victory breakfast feast followed. My brother in law came over in the afternoon after his morning guide job and we had steaks on the grill, plentiful libation and a camp fire in the evening in Bob's honor. I'll never change the fact that Bob never tagged a gobbler, but this is certainly the next best thing and certainly helps make up for it.

Next weekend Chris is returning with Bob's 10 year old grandson John and we will get the next generation started. God bless you Bob, this is for you...

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"The joy of living is his, who has the heart to demand it." Teddy Roosevelt